Moments: Poison
by Eternal Queen
Summary: Sequel to Moments: Crimson. Hermione undertakes a journey: where will she go? And what will she become?
1. Moment 1

Moment 1: Savior  
  
Hermione was in the Malfoy Manor, armed with a draught of Sleeping Death and a skimpy outfit. She was here for the Master of the House.  
  
She stopped in front of the study door. "Malfoy." she hissed.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" thundered the blond man.  
  
"The Aurors are coming. Drink from this vial and I will save you."  
  
"What." He was bewildered. "Aren't you Potter's Mudblood lapdog?"  
  
"I was. Now I come to take a new role- your savior."  
  
With a look of fury, he grabbed the vial and drank. 


	2. Moment 2

Moment 2: Sir  
  
"Lucius." Her voice slid like a caress over him.  
  
"Why did you save me?"  
  
"Because I love you." There was innocence in her gaze.  
  
"What do you want from me?"  
  
"I want you. Is that so hard to believe? After all, you're an attractive and powerful man." She slid her hand along his thigh.  
  
"You want to be my whore? Well, if you insist, you can start now."  
  
She bent her head toward his crotch, glad to hide the unavoidable smirk on her face.  
  
"Yes, sir." 


	3. Moment 3

Moment 3: Bondage  
  
That night she lay in Malfoy's arms. Quietly she slipped out of the bed and pointed her wand at the blond man. "Avada Kedavra."  
  
She ran to the bathroom to vomit. Looking in the mirror, she saw herself and shook. This was not Hermione Granger, the independent and powerful witch. This was the Hermione Granger that had sobbed in Ron Weasley's arms when her cat had died. She looked at her hands instead "It was a bond." She was whispering out loud now. "Why isn't it gone?" She started to rub her wrists, trying to push off the handcuffs. "What have you done, Snape? What have you done?" 


	4. Author's Note

Author's Note  
  
Hello readers- I just wanted to clear up a couple of things. First, I haven't yet read OotP, so if all this is in AU now, so let it be. Next, anything that doesn't make sense, wait a couple chapters to see if it is cleared up. If not, let me know.  
  
Thanks!  
  
Eternal Queen 


	5. Moment 4

Moment 4: Homecoming  
  
"Hullo Hermione! What's up?"  
  
She really wasn't in the mood for Harry and Ron's forced cheerfulness. "Hullo boys." She sat down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall and felt as if she were above all this. She had done so much, she had seen the world, she had defeated Lucius Malfoy. Surely her destiny was not to follow her male friends into their little schemes, all of which seemed so insignificant compared to hers.  
  
"You all right?" Harry was always the sensitive one, she thought dryly.  
  
"Yeah." Her throat was so dry. She swallowed. Hard. "Yeah, I think so." 


	6. Moment 5

Moment 5: Graduation  
  
Hermione stood on the raised dias in the front of the Great Hall, accepting her diploma from a beaming Dumbledore. She took the certificate disdainfully and looked at the students with a superior smirk as the applauded. It was only when the Hall became quiet that she noticed that the Headmaster was speaking to her. ".Will you do me the honor of granting me an interview after the ceremony is over? I would like to speak to you-"  
  
"Yes, yes." She cut him off, and with a nod, swept of the platform to rejoin her friends.  
  
She had enjoyed the applause. She would have to get used to it. 


	7. Moment 6

Moment 6: Dumbledore  
  
"Well, Miss Granger," said Dumbledore. "Have you decided what you will be doing now, after graduation?"  
  
She inclined her head. "Indeed. I plan to travel before attempting to acquire a job at the Ministry." She let her lip curl at the mention of the word.  
  
"Excellent choice. Miss Granger, you have seemed distant lately. Your friends are worried about you. Is something wrong? Perhaps a family problem?"  
  
"No, of course not. Well, if that is all?" She rose to her feet and stood until Dumbledore also rose, as she clearly expected. "Good day." Shaking his hand, she swept away. "Good day."  
  
Dumbledore shook his head. He had lost her. 


	8. Moment 7

Moment 7: Education  
  
Hermione was in Greece. In the Library of Athens, buried by stacks of parchment, she was doing what she did best- research.  
  
Translating Ancient Greek was not enjoyable.  
  
".Then the harpy was released by Great Zeus torment evil-doers." Harpies. The more she read about them, the more she wanted them.  
  
Then she heard a footstep behind her and she spun soundlessly.  
  
A man stood there, heavily cloaked. "You have been enquiring about harpies. You are a witch."  
  
"Yes. And you are?"  
  
He ignored the invitation to introduce himself.  
  
"Come with me. I know where you can get one." 


	9. Moment 8

Moment 8: Ideas  
  
She was shaking with excitement. She was sure her idea would work. Looking through the harpy feather that she had purchased from her new acquaintances in Knockturn Alley would allow her to see those who had evil in them, and then she would be able to destroy them, one by one, until there were none left.  
  
She would kill all those who had taken him from her. Their blood would flow between her fingers and drip on the floor. They would feel the pain that they had caused her, that sense of betrayal and loss and emptiness.  
  
They had taken her soul, and she would take theirs. 


	10. Moment 9

Moment 9: Perfect  
  
She was going to see Dumbledore. She had been unnecessarily rude to him before, and she had to make it up to him. She was taking him an extra harpy feather as a gift. It would be good to have him as an ally in the upcoming crusade.  
  
Her plan was perfect. She would weed out the bad seed from the good and destroy them, quickly and happily. Then she would join the Ministy's justice department and try and make a difference in the now soiled Wizarding world.  
  
It was perfect. The perfect plan. 


	11. Moment 10

Moment 10: Test  
  
"Headmaster?"  
  
"Miss Granger. What a pleasure to see you." He seemed tired.  
  
"May I speak to you?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
She explained her idea to him. It looked as though he didn't like it, but he listened anyway.  
  
"And anyone who is good will look the same through the feather. Like Fawkes."  
  
It was working. Then she turned back to Dumbledore with the feather still over her eyes and gasped. He was tinged with black, around the edges and in his heart.  
  
"You too. How could you?" Her eyes iced over.  
  
"Miss Granger."  
  
"Crucio."  
  
Her grin was feral as she watched him writhe on the ground. 


	12. Moment 11

Moment 11: Friends  
  
"Hermione!" She looked up to see Harry and Ron.  
  
"Hello." Her voice was dull.  
  
"We heard you were in his office when Albus collapsed this morning." Ron had never been any good at small talk.  
  
"Yes." She couldn't bring herself to say anything more.  
  
"And.?"  
  
"Well, he just, collapsed. I was in shock for a bit, then I called for Madame Pomfrey."  
  
"Does she know why it happened?" Harry was visibly upset- Dumbledore was like a father to him.  
  
"Not yet. She's only just begun to examine him." She was staring at the floor, her head in her hands.  
  
It would be only a matter of minutes until she found out. 


	13. Moment 12

Moment 12: Advice  
  
"My child."  
  
'How can you face me after what you did to me? Have you not learned your lesson?" Dumbledore had asked to see her almost immediately after Madame Pomfrey had identified the after effects of the Cruciatus and called for the Aurors.  
  
He took her hand. "My dear, you are so young, and I have failed to teach you the basic principles of humanity. Every human is tinged with evil, whether they are young or old, male or female. Have you ever looked into a mirror with that feather over your eyes? You will see currents of black running through your veins. It only makes you human, child, human. I have failed you."  
  
She cried. 


	14. Moment 13

Moment 13: Poison  
  
"Hermione?" Harry Potter pushed open the door of her flat, puzzled at the lack of the wards on her door. In the corner, her desk was strewn with papers, her quill laid by the side of a parchment with shone with the imprints of wet ink. His name at the top of the page caught his eye.  
  
Harry-  
  
I'm sorry. So sorry. It was the poison. The poison did it all. I must find the antidote. The antidote-  
  
The letter cut off with a puddle of tears.  
  
Harry trembled silently for a solid minute before racing out the door. 


	15. Moment 14

Moment 14: Antidote  
  
She lay in her bed peacefully. Her mind was more active.  
  
It is poison. The poison of evil taints my veins just as it did Voldemort's. The only way to purge myself of the poison is to drain my self of the blood that corrupts me.  
  
"Fight poison with poison," she whispered to herself. Taking a vial from her night table, she drained the contents.  
  
She felt the icy chill of death enter the room. "The antidote," she said pleasantly to herself, with a smile. She felt cleaner and more beautiful already.  
  
And then she felt nothing more. 


End file.
